you have my hart
by teatart
Summary: Only after four months of dating, Josh accidentally drops the L bomb and is left to ponder whether Maya feels the same.


**a|n - to celebrate josh coming back to gmw, i decided it was about time that i wrote another fic or in this case one shot for josh x maya bc i love them**

* * *

 **"It just sucks that I have to spend a whole weekend with him and his stupid family."** Maya said, exasperated over the phone. She was in upstate with her dad, his wife and their daughter and because the two of them had the absolute worst timing ever, the same day Maya left the city was the same day that he came back from visiting his parents in Philly.

Family arrangements and flight times were not on their side.

So, he decided to visit his brother in hopes to take his mind off his girlfriend who he was not going to call because he would be interfering with time she needed to spend with her father. This resolve completely melted away of course, the moment that he saw her name pop up on his phone. From there he went into Riley's old bedroom for privacy and began the who knows how long conversation with Maya.

"You've been there twice already, it won't be as bad as the first time."

" _Exactly_. I've been here twice already, they really don't need to see me more than that. I didn't change and I certainly didn't grow."

Josh chuckled, "I can attest to that. You're still a little ferret."

"You're hilarious," She deadpanned, "Remind me to fight you when I get back. We've been apart for almost a week, you know. I think all your charms have finally worn off."

" _Right_. What's my name on your phone again? Boing?" He said with an embarrassingly wide grin on his face. It was banters like these that made him miss her all the more.

"More like pain in the ass," She replied wryly, "Quit distracting me, I'm trying to get all my bitterness out before I have to go back out there."

He bit his lip to keep from laughing more, "Wait, what did you say you guys were doing today?"

"We're having a campfire outside on the deck. They want to hear all about college and how stuff with my art is going. It makes me want to gouge my eyes out."

"As long as you're not being dramatic about the whole thing," He knew her well enough at that point to know that she rolled her eyes at what he said but he continued, "You can't blame him for wanting to get to know you, Maya. I know he's a little late—"

She scoffed at that, "A little."

" _But_ ," Josh said louder to get her attention, "He loves you, Maya. He's trying to make it up to you and it wouldn't hurt to try too. Besides, who wouldn't want to know you better? You're Maya Hart."

There was silence before she muttered, "I hate it when you're right."

"I don't."

He heard her breathe a laugh which in turn made the bright smile return to his face, "I hate it that even when you're being _super_ modest, I miss you."

Just as he opened his mouth to tell her that she wouldn't believe how much he missed her too, someone yelled from the other side of the phone and Maya sighed,

"I gotta go roast marshmallows and sing kumbaya. The step monster said so."

"Maya." He warned.

"I was joking, relax. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Alright, have fun. Save me a s'more. I love you." He said without thinking and just as he hit end, he realized what he just told her for the first time since they've been dating.

Cory and Topanga didn't even get a warning before they heard someone scream, "Fuck!" From the other side of the apartment.

* * *

No one in the Matthews house seemed to grasp how disastrous what he said was. No one understood that before yesterday, him and Maya had never exchanged anything more than, 'I really like you's'. No one understood that saying 'I love you' after only being together for four months could be horrible. And he had a whole weekend to digest what her reaction would be.

He's seen enough scenarios on TV to know that sometimes saying those stupid three words could change things in even the most perfect relationship. The worst part was that Maya hadn't called him the day after and he wondered for a few moments if that was a curse or blessing.

While he laid on Riley's bed, moping, Auggie came in to console him.

"Uncle Josh? Mom said to get your butt out here 'cause your dinner is getting cold." _Or not_ , Josh thought.

"I'm not hungry." He said and felt something plop on the bed beside him.

"Listen. I'm gonna tell you something very important and I want you to pay very close attention. It's about how you can make sure that everything is okay with Maya." Auggie said from beside him. He'd become desperate enough to listen to relationship advice from a twelve year old in the span of twenty four hours and he didn't feel the least bit ashamed.

"What is it?" He inquired, entirely intrigued.

"Talk to her!" His nephew shouted in his ear and he winced, "You're supposed to be the one giving _me_ advice, remember? Now, let's go before mom comes in to get both of us to go eat." The two exchanged a look before shuttering.

[*]

Maya came home two days later and Josh had a solution to everything.

Number one: he was absolutely not going to bring up the fact that he told her that he loved her out of nowhere. That was something that wasn't going to happen because it would make things incredibly uncomfortable.

Well, that was it really. He was just planning on acting like he never said anything before they hung up the phone. Playing stupid was always a wise choice.

Until the moment she walked into the Matthews residence with Riley by her side, she didn't jump into his arms like he fully expected her to. Instead she made a beeline for him, took his hand and dragged him towards Riley's bedroom and no one spoke a word until they were sat at the bay window.

Josh broke the silence first, "So, how was it?"

"Don't try and talk about something else, Josh. There's something much more important we need to talk about."

He nearly bowed his head in defeat. So much for trying to act like nothing happened, "Look Maya..." His eyes wandered Riley's purple rug before looking back up at his girlfriend who had a glint of mischief in her eyes, "Maya?"

"You said it first. You said, 'I love you' first. You might as well just say now that you can't live without me." Her face went to solemn to smug in a split second and Josh couldn't help feeling more confused.

"Huh?"

"You told me you loved me out of nowhere. It's probably been festering up in there for a while, you were dying to be with me. But don't worry, Josh. I finally caved in so your life could be complete." She even grabbed his hand and it suddenly hit him that she was messing with him.

" _What_? More like the other way around."

Maya lifted a hand to her ear to feign that she didn't hear him, "Excuse me, who said they loved who first?" Then suddenly Josh realized that his girlfriend was sitting in front of him looking effortlessly beautiful and he had yet to greet her properly. So, he grabbed the hand that was taunting him by her ear and pulled her towards him, his lips capturing hers.

Her other hand went to his hair while his gripped her hip and Josh was enveloped in the warmth of her lips on his and the sweet taste of cherry on his tongue after it brushed past her lip. The two dropped their intertwined hands so Maya could put both arms around him and he could hold her properly when she eventually moved so her body was flushed against his and she was straddling him.

Only when Maya's hands moved south towards the buttons on his shirt did he pull away to ask the question that had been eating away at him for three days.

"How do you feel about me?" He asked, hoping she wouldn't notice the insecurity laced in his voice. Her baby blue eyes focused on him and he held his breath. Then her lips curved up a smidgen and she pecked his lips.

"I love you too."


End file.
